India’s Minister of State for Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, urged the heads of the BRICS space agencies meeting in Bengaluru, India June 23-24 to think big.
“The future of the space economy will not be shaped by nations working in isolation. It will be shaped by partnerships, shared innovation and collective ambition. BRICS countries have the potential to become one of the strongest pillars of this emerging global space ecosystem,” Dr. Singh said. “BRICS nations must move beyond consultation and work towards co-development, co-innovation and co-creation. By bringing together our scientists, engineers, industries, startups and young innovators, we can develop solutions for global challenges, create new economic opportunities and build a stronger framework for scientific advancement and shared prosperity.”
Hosted by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) under India’s chairmanship of the BRICS this year, the heads of space agencies and senior officials from the other nine BRICS members —Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates—were present. India’s state Press Information Bureau reported that the space officials “deliberated on key issues including space sustainability, debris-free missions, strengthening the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation (RSSC), expanding participation of new BRICS members in existing cooperation mechanisms, and advancing discussions on the proposed BRICS Space Council.” Sharing of satellite data is already taking place under the RSSC; the task of the Space Council that is being set up is to provide greater continuity for collaboration on more ambitious projects, as proposed by Dr. Singh.
